Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1887-05-07


diameter and about three inches thick. This
fairly staggered me,
"Looks rather like a wharf where Sccd
sized vessels have been moored, does 1t not,
Uncle Horacen said Master Leo, with an
exultant grim
tried to say "Nonsense" again, but the
word stuck in my throat-the ring spoke for
itself. In some past age vessels had been
moored there, and this stone wall was UNI
doubleday the remains of solidly construct
ed wharf. Probably the city TO which it had
belonged lay buried beneath the swamp be-
hind it.
"Begins to look as though there were some
thing in the story after all, Uncle Horace"
said the exultant Leo, and rejecting on the
mysterious Negroes head and the equally mys-
FERROUS stone work made no direct reply.
"a country like Africa" said, "is sure to
be full of the relics of long dead and forgot
ten civilizations Nobody knows the age of
tho Egyptian civilization, and very likely IL
had oifshoots. Then there were the Babylo-
mans, and the Phoenicians, and the Persians,
ond all manner Of people, all moro or less
civilized, to say nothing of the Jews whom
everybody wants nowadays. 1t is possible
that they, or any one of them may have had
colonies or trading stations about here. Re
member those buried Persian cities that the
consul showed us at Kilwa."
"Quite So" said Leo; "but that is not what
you said before"
turning the conversation.
AS no answer was Forthcoming we pro-
ceeded to the edge of the swamp and looked
over it. 1t was apparently bouhdless, and
vast focks of every sort Of water fowl came
flying from its recesses till it was sometimes
difficult TO see the sky. Now that the sun
was getting high, it drew thin, sickly looking
clouds Of poisonous vapor from the surface
of the marsh and from the scummy pools of
stagnant water.
"Two things are clear TO me-" said, adj
dressing my three companions, who stared at
this spectacle in dismay, "Arst, that we can't
60 across there" Il pointed to the swamp,
"and, secondly, that If we stop here we shall
certainly die of fever"
"That's as clear as a haystack," said Job.
every well, then; there are two alternatives
before us. Que is to bout ship and try and
run for some port in the whaleboat, which
would be a sufficiently risky proceeding, anc
tho other to sail or row on up the river, ant
sea where we come to-"
II don't know what you are going to do
said Loo, setting his mouth, "but am going
up that river"
job turned up the whites OF his eyes ant
} groaned, and the Arab murmured "Allahl
and groaned also. AS for me, l remarked
sweetly, that as we seemed to be between tn
devil and the deep sea, it did not much matte
where we went But in reality was a
anxious to proceed as Leo. The colossa
negroes head and the stone wharf had excitet
, my curiosity to an extent of which / wa
secretly ashamed, and / was prepared t.
crafty It at any cost. Accordingly, havini
carefully fitted the mast, restowed the boat
, and got out our rifles, we embarked. Fortu
nately the wind was blowing on shore iron
the ocean SO we were able to hoist the sail
Indeed. we afterward found out that as
general rule tho wind set on shore from day
break for some hours, and off shore again a
sunset, and the explanation that offer O
this is that when the earth is cooled by th
!, dew and the night the hot air rises, and til
: draught rushes in from the sea, till the su
has once more heated it through. At leas
: that appeared to be the rule here.
:. Taking advantage Of the favoring wind W
sailed merrily up the river for three or fou
: hours. About midday the sun grew intensel
!. hot and the stencil drawn up by it from th
: marshes which tho river drains was somt
: thing too awful and caused us instantly t
swallow precautionary doses of quinint
. Shortly afterward the breeze died away altt
> gether, and as rowing our heavy boat again:
. stream in tho heat was out of the question
~ 10
= shade of group of trees-a species of willo
that grew by the edge of the river, and l
8 there and gasp till at length the approach {
sunset put period to our miseries Seem
> what appeared to be an open space of wat'
ahead of us, we determined to row there b
- foro settling what to do for the night. Ju
i" as we were about to loosen the boat, howeve
. a beautiful water buck, with great horl
: curving forward and white stripe across Il
D rump, came down to the river to drink, wit
- out perceiving us hidden away within fiji
= yards under the willows. Leo was the fir
= :, to catch sight of it, and being an ardel
" sportsman, thirsting for tho blood Of b
- game, about which he had been dreaming f
:, months he instantly stiffened all over al
- pointed like setter dog. Seeing what w
70 the matter handed him his express rifle,
:, the same time taking my own.
- snow, them" I whispered, "mind you dor
= miss"
y "Missi" he whispered back, contemptuousl
u could not miss il / tried"
He lifted the rife, and the roam color
!, buck, having drunk his fill, raised his he,
~ and looked out across the river. He W
NJ standing right against the sunset sky on
=. little eminence or ridge of ground that RI
a. across the swamp, evidently a favorita pa
70 for game, and there was something We
=, beautiful about him.
ha Bang! Away he goes with mighty bour
= Leo has missed him. Bangi right under b
-, again. Now for shot l must have OF
~ though he Is going like an arrow, and hu
=, dred yards away OF more. By Jovei oy
Al and over and over. "Wep, l think L
"a wiped your eye there, Master Leo" l Sc
=. struggling against the ungenerous exultati
w that in such a supreme moment Of ones I
uU istence will rise in the best tutored spor
~, mans breast.
W "Confound you, yesr growled Leo; a
a. then, with that quick smile that is one Of
NJ NJ charms lighting up his handsome face like
no no ray of light, II beg your pardon, old fello
no | congratulate you; it was lovely shot, a
w mine were vile"
We got out Of the boat and ran to the bu
~ which was shot through the spine and stC